News

A 59-year-old Three Rivers man was charged with operating while intoxicated after he was involved in a one-vehicle accident Monday in Fabius Township. The man, whose name was not released pending arraignment, sustained minor injuries after his Jeep rolled over at 1 p.m. on Coon Hollow Road, between East Clear Lake and Stoldt roads. There were no passengers in the …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved a plan to issue paychecks to county employees by direct deposit or through a payroll debit card only The measure will be implemented with the April 12 payday for the two-week pay period ending April 8. Finance director Joni Smith said no longer hand-delivering checks to employees will save staff in …

The biggest boys basketball game of the season in St. Joseph County saw the home team come away victorious Tuesday. The Mendon Hornets, who brought a 15-1 record into its non-conference game against Class D, No. 1-ranked Climax-Scotts, prevailed, 51-50. The loss was the first of the season for Climax-Scotts, which now has a 17-1 record. No. 9-ranked Mendon took …

State Sen. Bruce Caswell was recognized as one of three recipients of an award bestowed by the Michigan Farm Bureau. Caswell, whose jurisdiction includes St. Joseph County, received the agency’s Silver Plow award last week in Lansing. The recognition is reserved for state lawmakers whose commitment to agriculture in 2012 ensures the ongoing success of the farming industry. The Silver …

Glen Oaks Community College recently recognized 21 employees who reached milestone years of employment with the Centreville-area school. Topping the list were James and Anne Cook, each for reaching the 35-year mark of employment. Nursing faculty member Janell Lederman was honored for three decades of employment, while Beverly Andrews, Larry Hass, Lynne Holtz and Barbara Thole were honored for reaching …

Three children died after they were trapped in an upstairs apartment when a fire broke out at an apartment complex in Kalamazoo Monday afternoon.  Dispatchers say that the fire was fully involved when Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers responded to the Interfaith Apartments on the city’s north side.  The Kalamazoo Gazette reports 3-year-old twins Tevin and Tinya Williams and …

A 38-year-old St. Joseph County man was sentenced to serve up to 70 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct. Prosecutor John McDonough said charges against Mendon Township resident David Mathews involved two teenage girls, one of them a family member. Mathews was sentenced Friday in 45th Circuit Court in Centreville. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree …

A gaming system, DVD movies and other items were stolen from a residence during a break-in reported last week in Sturgis Township. State police investigators said no one was home at a residence in the 69000 block of South Nottawa Road when it was burglarized between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Details about how access was gained into …

State Rep. Matt Lori on Friday is sponsoring coffee hours in Dowagiac. Lori, a Constantine-area resident, will meet with residents at the Cass County Council on Aging in Front Street Crossing, 227 S. Front St. in Dowagiac from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Lori said the venue is an informal setting where he can provide a short legislative update and listen …

The Three Rivers Fire Department was called last week to a second-floor residence in the downtown district, where a passer-by called the 911 dispatch center to report seeing smoke inside the residence. Personnel were dispatched to 2 N. Main St. at 2:25 am Friday, as the caller also reported hearing smoke detectors going off. With assistance from the Three Rivers …